Posted by Dan Greenfield on Oct 7, 2026
RETRO HOT PICKS! On Sale This Week — in 1956!
Scott and Dan hit up the comics racks from 70 years ago… This week for RETRO HOT PICKS, Scott and I are selecting comics that came out the week of Oct. 7, 1956. Last time for RETRO HOT PICKS, it was the week of Sept. 30, 1949. Click here to check it out. (Keep in mind that comics came out on multiple days, so these are the issues that went on sale between Oct. 4 and Oct. 10) So, let’s set the scene: There was only a month left in the 1956 presidential race and incumbent Dwight Eisenhower was in the driver’s seat. The Republican enjoyed bipartisan support across the nation, and despite weakened health, was able to campaign by using television as his proxy. It was actually the first national race where TV played a significant part, with ads able to target specific segments of the electorate. Ike, for example, defeated Democratic opponent Adlai Stevenson in 1952 in part by winning the women’s vote. Eisenhower and Stevenson were in a rematch and commercials designed to appeal to homemakers were a central part of the president’s strategy. TV’s development also allowed Eisenhower to stay at home in the White House and let the tube carry his message, while Vice President Nixon did the scut work of retail campaigning against the Democrat’s aggressive challenge. But when it came down to it, Stevenson didn’t really stand a chance. October 8 gave us one of the greatest moments in sports history: Yankees righthander Don Larsen pitched a perfect game at Yankee Stadium against a heavy-hitting Brooklyn Dodgers lineup in Game 5 of the World Series: 27 batters faced, 27 outs. It’s been 70 years and there has never been another one. New York would win the Series two days later, swamping Brooklyn, 9-0, in Game 7 at Ebbets Field with Yanks catcher Yogi Berra swatting two home runs. It was the Bronx Bombers’ seventh title in 10 years. The team’s biggest star was center fielder Mickey Mantle, who’d just had the best season of his career, winning the Triple Crown by leading the majors in batting average, homers and runs batted in. I have actually been to two no-hitters and two perfect games in my life — all four pitched by Yankees and all four at Yankee Stadium. For the non-baseball fans among you,...
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